The world is still facing various waves derived from the SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic, in addition to the emergence of cases of monkeypox, in addition to the fact that 35 cases of a new virus of animal origin have already been detected in China, when medical alarms are going off again in India.
The above, derived from a new infection that is affecting minors in this Asian country, and of which more than 80 cases have already been detected, according to The Lancet magazine.
What is tomato flu?
The first cases of this disease were reported in the state of Kerala since May 6, and according to the first medical reports, this so-called tomato flu or tomato fever could be a secondary effect of chikungunya fever or dengue in children.
And what triggers the alerts of the medical services is that there is still no specific drug for this disease.
Symptoms caused by this new virus
One of the main characteristics of this disease is skin rashes that cause irritation.
As with other viral infections, other symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, joint swelling, and flu-like and dengue-like symptoms.
Tomato flu in India
In India, cases have been detected in children aged 1 to 5 years and in some immunocompromised adults.
For children with these symptoms, doctors perform molecular and serological tests to diagnose dengue, chikungunya, Zika virus, varicella-zoster virus, and herpes; once these viral infections have been ruled out, contraction of the tomato virus is confirmed .
The rare viral infection caused by the virus is in an endemic state and is considered not life-threatening. However, vigilant management is desirable to prevent further outbreaks, warns the British weekly of medicine.
To date, apart from Kerala, Tamilnadu and Odisha, no other region in India has been affected by the virus.
Among the care that should be taken for someone who has tomato flu are:
- Isolation
- Rest
- many liquids
- A sponge of hot water to relieve irritation and rashes
- Paracetamol supportive therapy for fever and body aches
